The present invention relates to game machines, and more particularly to game machines displaying a plurality of series of symbols.
Slot machines are well known as game machines in which players can play a game by inserting coins or tokens (hereinafter referred to as coins) prior to starting the game. A slot machine is provided with, for example, three reels, each of which has a plurality of symbols arranged on its outer periphery in a predetermined sequence. Whether a prize should be awarded, and if so what prize, is determined depending on the combination of symbols displayed within respective display windows when the reels stop after rotating. If the resulting symbol combination coincides with one of a plurality of predetermined winning symbol combinations, the game is judged as a hit game, and a predetermined number of coins, according to the rank of the win, is paid out.
Among these slot machines are also those in which the player can advance the reel again after all the reels have stopped if, for example, any reel displays a specific symbol at the end of the reel rotation. This provides the slot machines with an additional function for enabling an additional game, and this helps to hold the player's interest.
But in this additional game, since the player is allowed merely to rotate some of the same reels as in the first or regular game, the variety of symbol combinations obtainable in the additional game is the same as in the regular games. Therefore, this known additional game function does not greatly relieve the monotony of playing the slot machine.